Method of preparing autographic stencils for printing



T. A. EDISON. Method of Preparing Autog-raphio Stencils for'Printing.

No. 224,665. Patented Feb.17,1880.

N. PETERS, FHOTO-IJTHOGRAP UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE- THOMAS A. EDISON, OF MENLO PARK, NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF PREPARING AUTOGRAPHIC STENCILS FOR PRINTING,

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,665, dated February 1'7, 1880.

Application filed March 17, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. EDIsoN, of Menlo Park, in the State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Preparing Steucils for Printing, (Case No. 173,) of which the following is a specification.

In Letters Patent No. 180,857, granted to me, means for perforating paper by a rapidlyreciprooating needle are set forth; also, a method of printing by forcing a semifiuid ink through the perforations.

My present invention relates to a peculiar stencil-sheet, and to the method of and a means for preparing the perforated stencil of paper or similar material.

I make use of a slab or plate with a surface of numerous sharp points. Such surface is represented at c composed of needle-points set .closely together, or wire points, the extreme ends of which are in the same plane and the bodies united by solder or cast metal; or the said surface may be a metal plate with its surface scored with grooves thatleave the intervening sharp points projecting, as shown in the section, Figure l, and plan, Fig. 2. A steel plate thus prepared and hardened is 'preferred.

Upon this slab the sheet of paper bis placed, and upon it, by preference, a sheet of blottingpaper, 0, or other soft paper or material, is laid, and the person that writes or draws makes use of a stylus or blunt point, d, and writes or draws upon the surface of the paper 0 by pressing the same by hand thereon with-a force that is. sufiicient to cause the points of the slab a to penetrate the paperb upwardlyin the lines beneath the stylus. The sectional view, Fig. 3, illustrates this method of preparing the stencil.

The perforations in the paper will have their largest diameter at the under side of the sheet, as shown in the section, Fig. 4, in consequence of each point in the slab a being tapering; hence, when the paper stencil is made use of in printing with a semi-fluid ink, such ink will pass in at the smallest part of each hole to the broader part of the hole adjacent to the paper,

and the lines of dots will be sufficiently heavy and distinct when printed upon the surface that is printed.

' I do not limit myself to the use of the sheet of soft paper 0, as the writing may be done directly upon the surface of the sheet b, and any suitable blunt pencil or stylus may be used. In some instances the pencil may be of wood or other yielding material; or a lead-peuoil may be employed.

A method of printing by a perforated stenoil having been set forth in my aforesaid patent does not require to be repeated herein. I remark that the ink may be rubbed into or forced through the perforations of the stencil in any desired manner, so as to print upon a sheet of paper laid beneath the perforated stencil.

The stylus may be provided with a small roller at the lower end or a ball in a socket. This roller or ball should be of terial, such as leather or rawhide.

I claim as my invention- 1. The method herein specified of preparing stencilsheets for printing, consisting in press ing the sheet in the lines to be printed against the numerous fine perforating-points of a slab by means of a blunt stylus that is passed over the sheet at the lines to be perforated and 9 Signed by me this 10th day of March, A. D. 1879.

THOMAS A. EDISON.

Witnesses:

S. L. GRIFFIN,

- G. E. GARMAN.

yieldiu g ma- 

